As the popularity of barbecue grills has increased, manufacturers have employed many types of shelves or trays for use in the frame supporting the barbecue grill. Generally, the tray is connected to a lower portion of the frame. Typically, the trays are connected to the extremities of the lower portion with fasteners and hardware such as nuts and bolts. The tray can be configured to provide support for other elements, including a fuel tank.
A concern with trays of this type is the difficulty in properly connecting the tray to the lower portion of the frame. A second concern is providing sufficient structural integrity of the tray and frame. A related concern is a possible loss of structural integrity due to the multiplicity of fasteners used to connect the tray to the lower portion of the frame.
An example of a gas barbecue grill having a tray design susceptible of such concerns identified above is U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,755 issued to Johnston. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 therein, the barbecue grill is supported by a complex frame with a lower portion. The tray is connected to vertical supports positioned at the extremities of the lower portion of the frame. A combination of threaded fasteners and nuts are used to connect the tray to the vertical supports. Prior to connecting the tray to the vertical supports, the lower portion of the frame lacks any cross-member support.
Due to the thin-wall construction of the tray and the use of threaded fasteners that are susceptible to loosen over time, the frame may naturally experience a reduction in structural integrity.
Another example of a barbecue grill design with the concerns identified above is U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,718 issued to Seal. Referring to FIG. 2 therein, the barbecue grill is supported by a frame comprising a plurality of bent tubular members and a tray. The tray is connected to vertical supports positioned at the extremities of the frame. A combination of threaded fasteners and nuts are used to connect the tray to the vertical supports. Like the '755 patent to Johnston, prior to connecting the tray to the vertical supports, the lower portion of the frame lacks any cross-member support.
Therefore, there is a definite need for a shelf for use in a barbecue grill assembly that is durable and provides an enhanced degree of structural integrity to the frame supporting the barbecue grill. In addition, there is a need for a shelf that can be simply and reliably connected to the frame without the use of fasteners.
The present invention is provided to solve these and other problems.